Born in Churubusco, a suburb of Mexico City, and raised in Texas, he studied at California Polytechnic State University where he graduated with an engineering degree. He began his acting career at the stage in Mexico City, entering films there in 1935. During the next years he made 42 Spanish-language films, among them "Maria Candelaria" (1943) and "La Perla" (1947), becoming one of Mexico`s top film stars. His first American film was "The Fugitive" for RKO in 1947. Since then he costarred in more than 80 films in Hollywood, England, France, Germany and Italy. Credits include "Fort Apache" (1948), "Three Godfathers", "We Were Strangers" (1949), "El Bruto" (1952), "The Littlest Outlaw" (1955), "The Conqueror" (1956), "La Cucaracha" (1958) and "The Wonderful Country" (1959). When Armendariz was taken ill while filming the second James Bond film "From Russia With Love" his scenes were rushed through so he could return to L.A. for treatment and he entered UCLA Medical Center. Learning he had terminal cancer he killed himself there with a gunshot.
Known For
From Russia with Love
(1963)
Ali Kerim Bey
Fort Apache
(1948)
Sgt. Beaufort
3 Godfathers
(1948)
Pedro 'Pete' Roca Fuerte
Border River
(1954)
General Calleja (as Pedro Armendariz)
The Wonderful Country
(1959)
Cipriano Castro
The Conqueror
(1956)
Jamuga
Diane
(1956)
King Francis I
Lucrèce Borgia
(1953)
César Borgia
Full Filmography
Acting
Amapola Del Camino
(1937)
Mi candidato
(1937)
Jalisco nunca pierde
(1937)
La Adelita
(1937)
Las cuatro milpas
(1937)
El indio
(1938)
Los millones de Chaflán
(1938)
Antonio
Canto a mi tierra
(1938)
Antonio
Con Los Dorados De Villa
(1939)
La China Hilaria
(1939)
Una luz en mi camino
(1939)
Pobre diablo
(1940)
Raúl Solares
Los olvidados de Dios
(1940)
Zenón Rojas
Mala yerba
(1940)
Chuy Rodríguez
El charro Negro
(1940)
Ramón
El jefe máximo
(1940)
El Zorro de Jalisco
(1941)
Leonardo Torres
El secreto del sacerdote
(1941)
Ni sangre ni arena
(1941)
Frank
Del rancho a la capital
(1942)
Soy puro mexicano
(1942)
Allá en el bajio
(1942)
Juan Hernández
Passion Island
(1942)
El Toro
Simón Bolívar
(1942)
General Briceño Méndez
Tierra De Pasiones
(1943)
Wild Flower
(1943)
José Luis Castro
Another Dawn
(1943)
Octavio
Konga Roja
(1943)
Federico Robles
Maria Candelaria
(1944)
Lorenzo Rafael
La Guerra de los Pasteles
(1944)
The Skulls of Terror Return
(1944)
El corsario negro
(1944)
The Skulls of Terror
(1944)
The Abandoned
(1945)
Juan Gómez
Bugambilia
(1945)
Ricardo Rojas
El capitán Malacara
(1945)
Entre hermanos
(1945)
Ramón Arellano
Enamorada
(1946)
Gen. José Juan Reyes
Rayando el sol
(1946)
The Fugitive
(1947)
A Lieutenant of Police
Albur de amor
(1947)
La casa colorada
(1947)
The Pearl
(1947)
Quino
3 Godfathers
(1948)
Pedro 'Pete' Roca Fuerte
Fort Apache
(1948)
Sgt. Beaufort
Maclovia
(1948)
José María
Juan Charrasqueado
(1948)
En la Hacienda de la Flor
(1948)
We Were Strangers
(1949)
Armando Ariete
Tulsa
(1949)
Jim Redbird
Late Afternoon
(1949)
Sebastian del Llano
El abandonado
(1949)
El charro y la dama
(1949)
La malquerida
(1949)
Esteban
The Torch
(1950)
José Juan Reyes
Rosauro Castro
(1950)
Rosauro Castro
By the False Door
(1950)
Bernardo Celis
Pancho Villa vuelve
(1950)
La loca de la casa
(1950)
José María Cruz
Weddings of fire
(1951)
Ella y Yo
(1951)
Pedro Muñóz
Hell Road
(1951)
Pedro Uribe
Tierra baja
(1951)
Manelic
Por querer a una mujer
(1951)
Soledad's Shawl
(1952)
Roque Suazo
Meat in Prison
(1952)
Pablo González
Los tres alegres compadres
(1952)
Night Falls
(1952)
Marcos Arizmendi
The Brute
(1953)
Pedro
Lucrèce Borgia
(1953)
César Borgia
The Lovers of Toledo
(1953)
Border River
(1954)
General Calleja (as Pedro Armendariz)
Dos mundos y un amor
(1954)
Ricardo Anaya
Mulata
(1954)
Martín
Rebellion of the Hanged
(1954)
Cándido Castro
Reto a la vida
(1954)
The Littlest Outlaw
(1955)
Gen. Torres
Native Drums
(1955)
Fortune carrée
(1955)
Igricheff
The Conqueror
(1956)
Jamuga
Diane
(1956)
King Francis I
The Hidden One
(1956)
Felipe Rojano
Basket of Mexican Tales
(1956)
Carlos Cosio
The Big Boodle
(1957)
Col. Mastegui (as Pedro Armendariz)
Men and Wolves
(1957)
Giovanni
This Was Pancho Villa: First chapter
(1957)
Pancho Villa
La mujer que no tuvo infancia
(1957)
Manuela
(1957)
Mario Constanza
Los salvajes
(1958)
Pedro Matías
This Was Pancho Villa: Second chapter
(1958)
Pancho Villa
This Was Pancho Villa: Third chapter
(1958)
Pancho Villa
The Little Savage
(1959)
El Tiburón
I'm flying low
(1959)
El zarco
(1959)
Café Colón
(1959)
The Vivanco Ladies
(1959)
Gen. Inocencio Torrentera
Yo pecador
(1959)
La Cucaracha
(1959)
Coronel Valentín Razo
Beyond All Limits
(1959)
Pepe Gamboa
Thirst for Love
(1959)
Pedro Ortiz
The Wonderful Country
(1959)
Cipriano Castro
El indulto
(1960)
Lucas Sánchez Parrondo
El impostor
(1960)
Violent Summer
(1960)
Francisco Peña
Our Daily Hunger
(1960)
Macario Férnandez
Dos hijos desobedientes
(1960)
Pedro
La cárcel de Cananea
(1960)
Pedro
Calibre 44
(1960)
Don Pedro
Los desarraigados
(1960)
My Son, the Hero
(1961)
General
Francis of Assisi
(1961)
The Sultan
My Son, the Hero
(1962)
Cadmo
Los valientes no mueren
(1962)
El tejedor de milagros
(1962)
Señor Cura
From Russia with Love
(1963)
Ali Kerim Bey
Captain Sindbad
(1963)
El Kerim
La Bandida
(1963)
Roberto Herrera
The Conqueror (Hollywood Fallout)
(2023)
Self (archive footage)
Production